3.29.19
Leander - In a 17-5A district matchup featuring the Rouse Raiders and the Glenn Grizzlies, a match that was decided by a 10-run rule in the Raider’s favor in the sixth inning, the game centered around senior Jared Southard, a big right-handed pitcher who has garnered considerable heat from Major League scouts throughout the fall and spring.

Jared Southard, RHP, Rouse High School, 2019
Texas Commit - Southard is a big, physical kid at 6-foot-2 and a solid 205-pounds. He is a quick tempo pitcher, showing athleticism during the traditional wind-up motion. He creates a sturdy foundation with his stout lower-half, making a smooth drive toward the plate, staying neutral on his line, and has an aggressive trunk and shoulder rotation to deliver the ball from a high-¾ arm slot. Southard puts every ounce of his strength to work in the production of his fastball. Showing both 4-seam and 2-seam variation, the pitch worked at 91-93, and topping at 95 mph in the first inning. The 2-seam had sharp arm-side running action. Southard scattered the fastball throughout the outing, but he forced a lot of swings, yielding only two walks and a single hit on the night. His velocity would eventually settle at the 90-92 range through the middle innings, and then down to 88-90 mph in the final two frames of his six-inning outing. He displayed two breaking balls, an 12/6 shape curveball and a 10/4 shape slider. The curveball, which worked at 76-78 was his best control pitch, which helped him to collect his 14 strikeouts on the evening. At its most effective moments, Southard dropped the pitch down to match his fastball release angle, adding to the deception of the pitch, and allowing it to have much sharper bite at the end. Slider had more lateral-flat shape at 82-84 with cutter action, but still shows glimpses of late depth. Southard is ranked No. 48 in Texas and No. 357 Overall.